Electric power systems, such as generators or motors, may be used to provide electrical power from a mechanical input (e.g., rotation of a shaft used to provide electrical power by a generator), or to provide a mechanical output from input electrical power (e.g., use of electrical power to rotate a shaft by a motor). These devices may be used in applications, such as aircraft, where it is desirable to provide a large amount of power while minimizing the amount of space occupied and/or weight of the power system.
Such power systems may route electrical current through windings that pass through slots of stators and/or rotors. To prevent the passage of electrical charge from the windings to the slots, slot liners may be employed. As the electric current passes through the windings, the windings may be heated. However, conventional slot liners provide limited heat transfer ability to remove heat from the windings. Various power systems may be limited in the available power output by the ability to remove heat from the windings as electric current passes through the windings.
For example, for high performance motor or generators (e.g., generator for use in aircraft), power density may be an important consideration or aspect of motor or generator design. Power density is largely related to heat transfer effectiveness. Heat transfer of the stator may be limited by various electrically and thermally insulating materials such as conventional slot liners, which limit the heat transfer from the copper wire (e.g., to a cooling loop located on an outside diameter of the stator), and thereby limit the power density.